Convertible automotive mower



May 30, 1950 M. soss 2,509,993

CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOTIVE MOWER Filed Aug. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 23I1 22 W M 7 /a 2? i I? /0 1 ll 24 I I I4 I E 3! 13 May 30, 1950 50552,509,993

CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOTIVE MOWER Filed Aug. 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z fig.57

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40 36 flaw/r 605 Snvcnlor Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CONVERTIBLE AUTOMOTIVE MOWER Mark Soss, Spokane, Wash.

Application August 5, 1947, Serial No. 766,222

l Glalm. (CI. 56-26) My present invention relates to the general classof harvesters, and more specifically to improvements in. a convertibleautomotive mower of the three-wheel type that is adapted for light farmwork as well as for domestic work as on large estates, and the wheeledimplement includes mechanism for operating selectively aninterchangeable rotary cutting reel of the spiral blade type, and a,reciprocating cutter of the sickle type, that may with facility beemployed as front cutters for the implement.

The automotive vehicle or tractor, of the riding type, is equipped witha manually controlled front steering wheel and a pair of motor operatedtraction wheels, together with a front power output shaft and motoroperated driving means, and transmission mechanism from the power outputshaft to the selected cutting mechanism.

. Manually operated means are also employed for simultaneously adjustingthe cutting mechanism in a vertical plane and for controlling thedriving mechanism of the power output shaft to facilitate the operationand control of the implement as well as the cutting mechanism.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts as will hereinafter be described and more particularly set forthin the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a complete example of aphysical embodiment of my invention including an interchangeable rotarycutter and a reciprocating cutter, in which the parts are combined andarranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practicalapplication of the principles of my invention. It will however beunderstood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be madein these exemplifying drawings and mechanical structures, within thescope of my claim, without departing from the principles of theinvention.

Figure 1 is a plain view of a tractor in which my invention is embodiedand equipped with a front rotary cutter.

Figure 2 is a, view in side elevation of the auto motive implement ofFig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a front elevation showing the vertically adjustable rotarycutter, a P er output shaft and transmission mechanism between the shaftand cutter.

Figure 4 is a view in front elevation showing the vertically adjustablereciprocating cutter and the power transmission mechanism between thepower shaft and this interchangeable cutter; and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional detail view at line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In order that the general arrangement and utility of parts may readilybe understood I have disclosed a conventional tractor including a mainframe I having a front cross frame made up of spaced bearing arms 2, 2,and the frame is supported on two traction wheels W driven from a motorM through a double belt drive D, under control of lever-L oftransmissiongearing contained in the transmission case T. The motor is controlled bysuitablemechanism as indicated at C, and power from the motor istransmitted to the wheels W through the usual axle A for propellin theimplement. ,7

A single centrally located steering wheel S is mounted below the frameby a forked swivel bearing B, and a manually operated steering lever 4for the wheel is located in position for ready access by the driver whooccupies the usual seat 5 mounted on the main frame.

At the front of the implement a transversely arranged power output shaft6, is journaled in bearing 1 of the arms 2, 2 of the main frame which isprovided with interchangeable mechanism for converting the implement foruse with a rotary cutter as in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and for use intranslating the rotary movement of the output shaft into reciprocatingmovement of a reciprocating cutter of the sickle type as in Figs. 4 and5.

For use in transmitting power to the reciproeating cutter the shaft isequipped with a rotary cam head 8 having an exterior cam groove 9 in itsouter periphery. and for transmitting power to the selected rotarycutter the shaft is provided with additional transmitting mechanism tobe described.

The power output shaft is driven from the motor M through a belt driveincluding a driven pulley ill on the power shaft, a belt II, and adriving pulley l2 on the motor shaft 3; and in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 aconventional type of lawn mower i 3 is illustrated with usual spiralblades It and fixed cutter bar [5, and this rotary cutter is journaledby its shaft I! in bearings ll of two spaced bearing arms IS.

The rotary cutter is located in front of and below the output shaft andsupported on rollers cl movement the cutter mechanism may be adjustedvertically to vary the depth of the cut, and the I cutter mechanism maybe elevated to inoperative position for transportation and other pur-For transmitting rotary power and motion from the power shaft to therotary cutter a driven pulley 28 is mounted on the cutter shaft II, anda belt 22 passes from the driven pulley to a drive pulley 23 on thepower output shaft 6.

For raising and lowering, or vertically adjusting the cutting mechanimsof either type illustrated in the drawings, a suspension frame in theform of a yoke 26 is provided with its ends journaled on the cutterunit, and retaining lugs 25 on the cutter unit co-act with the rollersor wheels it to retain the cutter in operative position.

The frame 26 and its pivotally suspended cutting mechanism aresuspendedat 26 on a horizontal arm 21 of a bell crank 28, which isjournaled on the power output shaft 6, and an operating lever 28,located in position for ready access to the driver who occupies the seat5, is pivoted at 30 to the bell-crank. By pushing and pulling on theoperating lever the bell-crank may hinge arms I8, bolted to the cutterat their lower ends and at their upper ends these arms are hinged on theshaft by means of bearings I to.

located in the peripheral cam groove 9 of the.

rotary cam head a.

From this description it will be apparent that i the implement may beconverted from a rotary be rocked for vertically adjusting the cuttingmechanism, and the cutting mechanism may be retained in adjustedposition by co-action of a selected notch in a series of notches 38 ofthe lever and a fixed abutment or lug 32 rigid with the main frame.

The movement of the operating lever and the bell-crank are also utilizedin controlling the transmission of power through the driving belt ii tothe power output shaft t, and for this purpose a shifting roller oridler as is journaled in a hearing bracket as of an arm 35 that ismounted rigidly on the bell-crank. By a forward push of the operatinglever the cutting mechanism is de= pressed to operative position, andsimultaneously the roller 33 is pushed into contact with the belt M totighten the belt on its pulleys i2 and it for rotating the shaft s; andby a rearward pull on the operating lever the cutting mechanism may InFigs. sand 5 a reciprocating cutter is shown for interchangeable usewith the implement, H

i which cutter includes the stationary teeth 38 and suspension arms 3'?together with the reciprocatcutting implement to a reciprocating cuttingimplement by removing the rotary cutter and substituting thereciprocating cutter; and the suspension frame 24 with its operatingmechanism mounted on the power output shaft. together with the belttightener, are utilized for manipulating the interchanged parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new nd desireto secure by Letters Patent is: i

In an automotive implement having a supporting frame, a transverselyextending rotary power output shaft journaled therein, and driving meansfor the shaft, of a pair of spaced arms hinged on the shaft, avertically adjustable cutting mechanism mounted in the arms, asuspending frame pivotally supporting the cutting mechanism, manuallyoperated means for raising and lowering the frame and means forretaining the frame in adjusted position, and means coacting with thedriving means and the manually operated means for controlling the formerand adjusting the latter.

MARK 8088.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PA'IENTS Number Name Date 1,012,521 Coldwell Dec. 19, 19112,299,859 Speiser Oct. 27, 1962 2,368,290 Donald Jan. 30, 19. .5

